Tower Hill

So… 2020 has been traumatic for all of us. Today, as I write this on May 29, 2020, our beloved twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are being ravaged by riots, protests, looting and arson as a result of the apparent murder of George Floyd, the epicenter of which is taking place only two blocks from our kids’ high school (which, remarkably, has been left untouched). And — oh yeah — there’s still a dangerous pandemic on the rise in Minnesota, which will only be exacerbated by the sudden lack of social distancing as a result of all of this. And then there’s Trump, almost literally fanning the flames, seemingly treating this as a dress rehearsal for the white supremacist race war he’s undoubtedly hoping will erupt as a result of his coming loss this fall. (Plus Murder Hornets, the least of the plagues that have been visited upon us so far this year, but there’s still 7 months to go.)

Luckily, our kids are safe, our home is safe, and our print studio is intact. My heart bleeds for our cities and their families, and all of the other small business owners whose livelihoods have been burned out from under them.

Also today, as I write this, would have been our neighborhood’s annual post-Memorial Day ice cream social, the one night each year our entire Prospect Park neighborhood gathers at Pratt Elementary and Tower Hill Park — home of the Witch's Hat Water Tower — for games, music, food, ice cream… and to climb the tower and take in the incredible views of the city in all directions. On a good day you can see from the waters of Lake Minnetonka all the way to the state capitol in St. Paul. Tonight the views would have been that of smoke and flames and National Guard troops moving through our streets.

This park and its tower has been our neighborhood’s landmark ever since it was built over 100 years ago. Its sweeping views are threatened by encroaching developers, and the park is always in need of upkeep, which is why this design has been made a part of our Compassion Collection, with the additional proceeds from the sale of each mat benefitting The Friends of Tower Hill Park.

(This design is based on a photo provided by former resident Josh Purple, who grew up in Prospect Park and whose family has a long history in the neighborhood. Thank you, Josh!)